Past Programs

2008

Business Guide for EITI Implementation
Peter Eigen, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
May 12 Reception - Hosted by Exxon Mobil

International Perspectives on alternative energy: The Hype and the Hope
Michael Webber, University of Texas at Austin
April 18 Breakfast Briefing - Hosted by ConocoPhillips

Doing Business Around the World
Simeon Djankov World Bank
April 8 Breakfast Briefing - Hosted by The Nopal Group

Energy Independence: The way forward or a dangerous delusion?
Robert Bryce, Energy Tribune
March 12 Corporate Breakfast - Hosted by Simmons & Company International 

Islamic Approaches to Conflict Resolution: Practical Applications in Iraq
Major Kathleen Meilahn, United States Central Command
February 21 Briefing - Hosted by Apache 
 

The Council held a special event with Ted Turner and Timothy Wirth about "Alternative Energy and Houston" in February 2007. View Details

2007

Zoom: The Global race to fuel the car of the future
Vijay Vaitheeswaran
Environment and Energy correspondent for The Economist
November 5 - Hosted by Baker Botts, LLP

Tour de Force: A Review of America's Standing in the World
Philip Zelikow
Foreign policy consultant to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice US State Department
November 2 - Hosted by EnerVest, Ltd.

Free Trade Agreements: Strengthening Our Partnerships
Charles Shapiro
U.S. State Department
Senior Coordinator, Western Hemisphere FTA Task Force Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs October 18 - Hosted by Baker Hughes Incorporated

Corporate Best Practices in Supporting Human Rights
Carroll Bogert
Human Rights Watch
October 4 - Hosted by Baker Hughes Incorporated

Securing America’s Energy Needs, Environment, and the Economy
Paul Dickerson
United States Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
September 28  - Luncheon at Petroleum Club of Houston

New Developments in Investor-State Arbitration
Don Wallace
International Law Institute & Georgetown University
August 27 - Hosted by Vinson & Elkins, LLP

Inside Nigeria
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Former Nigerian Minister of Finance
The Brookings Institution
August 21 - Hosted by Baker Hughes Incorporated

Rising U.S. National Stakes in Africa
J. Stephen Morrison
Center for Strategic and International Studies
May 7 - Hosted by Fulbright & Jaworski LLP

Canadian Energy Resources
Brenda Bell, Ministry of Industry, Tourism & Investment, Northwest Territories
Bill Dooks, Ministry of Energy, Nova Scotia
Kathy Dunderdale, Ministry of Natural Resources, Newfoundland & Labrador
May 1 - Luncheon Hosted by the Canadian Consulate

Azerbaijan's Policy in the Region: Energy and Neighborhood Politics
Elin Suleymanov
Consul General of the Republic of Azerbaijan
February 13 - Hosted by Baker Botts LLP

Alternative Energy & Houston
Ted Turner, Timothy Wirth, and Matt Simmons
February 7 - Executive Roundtable

2006

Nuclear Proliferation: The Diplomacy of Containment
Munir Akram
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations
December 1 - Simmons & Company International Luncheon Briefing

Governance and Corruption: Myths and Realities
Daniel Kaufmann
Director, Global Programs, World Bank Institute
November 6 - Baker Hughes Briefing

International Trade: The Road to Global Economic Growth
Anthony Carroll
Vice President, Manchester Trade Ltd.
October 10 - Hosted by Winstead, Sechrest & Minick, LLP

Nigeria: Headed for Civil War?
Dr. Olayiwola Abegunrin
Professor of International Relations, Howard University
August 31 - Hosted by Shell EP, on-site Briefing

Iran and the Revolution: A Dissident�s Perspective
Mohsen Sazegara 
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
August 24 - at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Houston Branch

The Mexican Presidential Elections and the Candidacy of Felipe Calder�n
Arturo Sarukhan Casamitjana
Felipe Calder�n's Advisor for International Affairs
May 22 - Hosted by Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP

A Private Briefing on Venezuela
Ignacio Arcaya
Former Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States
May 18 - at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Houston Branch

Major Geopolitical Changes in the Middle East Today
Marc Grossman
Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
May 15 - Hosted by Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP

The Canadian Energy Edge: Abundant Resources Close to Home
The Honorable Bill Dooks � Minister of Energy, Province of Nova Scotia
The Honorable Jean Michel Roy � Consul General of Canada
Representatives from Canadian Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Labrador
May 2 - Hosted by Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP

Gassing Up: Meeting U.S. Natural Gas Needs through LNG Imports
John Hofmeister
President, Shell Oil Company
April 11 - Luncheon

Building Public-Private Partnerships for Global Development
William D. Ruckelshaus
Co-founder of the Initiative Global Development; Former EPA Administrator
March 24 - at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Houston Branch

2005

Gazprom: The Future of Russian Gas
Jonathan Stern
Director of Gas Research, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
December 7 - Private Reception

Energy Security: Toward a New Foreign Policy Strategy
Jan Kalicki
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
November 9 - Private Dinner

The Middle East & Global Energy: Insights for Investors
Flynt Leverett
The Brookings Institution
Hosted by Simmons & Company International
September 1 - Luncheon

Bolivia: Politics, Economics, and the Hydrocarbons Law
Ambassador Eudoro Galindo Anze
Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan
August 22 - Dinner Briefing

Rights, Rules and the Future of Russia
The Trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky
May 12 - Hosted by Simmons & Company International

Latest Developments in Canadian Energy Resources
The Honorable Clint Dunford, Minister of Economic Development, Province of Alberta.
The Honorable Cecil P. Clarke, Minister of Energy, Province of Nova Scotia.
The Honorable Danny Williams, Premier, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
May 3 - Hosted by Vinson & Elkins, Anadarko and Simmons & Company International

China's Foreign Policy Choices and Security Strategies in East Asia
Dr. Qin Yaqing
Vice President and Professor of International Studies, China Foreign Affairs University
April 13 - Hosted by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

U.S.-Arab Relations in 2005: Transparency, Democracy, & Peace in the Region
His Excellency Amre Moussa
Secretary-General of the League of Arab States
January 31 - Hosted by Apache Corporation, ConocoPhillips, Shell International EP, Jeremy Davis

China and the WTO: Business Views from Shanghai to Wall Street
Dr. Chen Guogang, Chairman
Lilia Clemente, Vice Chairman
Lei Yonglang, Chief Executive Officer
Sinochem Corporation, Beijing, China
January 14 - Hosted by Vinson & Elkins